Buying Tech - We're not in Kansas

Do you agree?

Computer and technology parts, even though they are made here, they generally do not fall off the truck or have cheap local outlets.

CPUs are more expensive here and a couple months out of date. Also true for DVD-RW drives and probably much more.

They don’t use internet shopping much in Taiwan; in the US this makes for fierce price competition.

OTOH, you can buy a computer custom assembled at 9PM on a Sunday.

Some local deals like boom-mike headsets for $NT55 exist. Great gift for friends back home you want to keep in touch with via Skype.

Does anyone know of a place to buy a second battery for my laptop computer? Many of these batteries are made in Taiwan, though I cannot buy a lot of 100. Mine is the HP f4809a/ F4812A 4400 mAh battery for my cheap $600 Presario 2100. Which I use for BitComet and Skype. They are about $100 in the US and $50 on eBay.

[quote=“Shenme Niao”]Does anyone know of a place to buy a second battery for my laptop computer? Many of these batteries are made in Taiwan, though I cannot buy a lot of 100. Mine is the HP f4809a/ F4812A 4400 mAh battery for my cheap $600 Presario 2100. Which I use for BitComet and Skype. They are about $100 in the US and $50 on eBay.[/quote]Even though the batteries are made here, sometimes the factory has to maintain the price at a reasonable level to the foreign buyers. When the guys form another country come to buy these batteries and they see it cheaper at the retail computer market than the factory wants to sell them, there’s going to be trouble. Finally, the United States is the biggest retail market in the world (china is still not there yet) so the US can get the cheapest price based on volume buying. Keep walking up and down the Pa De Rd. and asking at the different places. Closer to the Gold Aurora building end of Pa De, there was shop called Mr. Battery. Sounds like a good place to start no?

I definitely agree that internet shopping for computer parts is lacking in Taiwan. In the US I think the most recognisable internet dealer is Newegg and I’ve only had nothing but positive things to say about them. We need something like that here in Taiwan.

However the most surprising thing in Taiwan is the lack of high end computer parts in most stores here. FNAC, 燦坤 or the stores at the University of Technology would be up to date on computer parts. I built a custom PC just before CNY and had to wait a couple weeks for half my stuff, most items they had on stock were pretty outdated.

I just find it amazing that in Taiwan you can walk into almost any cell phone store and walk out with a $400 USD phone but you can’t get a ATI XT800 off the shelf.

[quote=“Qrap”]I definitely agree that internet shopping for computer parts is lacking in Taiwan. In the US I think the most recognisable internet dealer is Newegg and I’ve only had nothing but positive things to say about them. We need something like that here in Taiwan.

I just find it amazing that in Taiwan you can walk into almost any cell phone store and walk out with a $400 USD phone but you can’t get a ATI XT800 off the shelf.[/quote]

Agree completely. Other shopping sites:
pricegrabber.com
ibuyer.net
pricewatch.com (has sketchier unrated merchants)
(but does list international shippers) (albeit costly).

I guess unless its a small item that a friend could send over in a $5 or
$9 Global Priority Mail envelope, its only depressing to use those sites,
either that or plan ahead for the next visit to consumer land.

I’m told its just that people don’t trust internet buying here, but its
still strange in that delivery is really wired, plus people wire each other
money for Yahoo Auctions items all the time here.

I found the battery I needed here…

tw.ebay.com/
tw.bid.yahoo.com/

Shipping from HK was US$11. $55 out the door.
I didn’t even bother to visit Mr. Battery or the computer market.

Some risk, but the above sites are probably somewhat of a substitute
for full on US style internet shopping.